Ukrainian world chess champion not playing in dictatorial Saudi Arabia
”The Saudi State only exists so the US can rule the Oil Market. Terrorism, extreme misogyny, slavery and mass murder are therefore acceptable with impunity”.
This video is called The Famous Chess Trap In Action By Anna Muzychuk.
from The Independent ‘I am ready to stand for my principles’: Double world chess champion says she won’t defend titles in Saudi Arabia because of kingdom’s inequality
The Ukrainian, 27, will not travel to Saudi Arabia, where she wouldn’t even be allowed to walk down the street unaccompanied
”It would be great if the Ukrainian government would have principles as well, and would follow the example of this chess player by stopping selling Ukrainian warplanes to the Saudi absolute monarchy for their bloody war on the civilian people of Yemen. However, as they are waging their own bloody war against their own compatriots, I am afraid they won’t do that unless they are under big pressure to stop”.
- Code Pink Demo simulates a Yemen massacre by Saudis with US and British bombs
by Ed Malyon, It takes years of work, days of staring at a board and hours of agonising over individuals moves en route to becoming a world champion in chess.
And it takes only a short-sighted decision from its governing body to ensure you lose that crown.
“In a few days I am going to lose two World Champion titles – one by one,” Anna Muzychuk says.
“Just because I decided not to go to Saudi Arabia.”
Muyzchuk is the defending world champion in two disciplines of speed chess – rapid and blitz. In rapid, each player gets 15 minutes to complete all of their moves and in blitz it is just 10.
Anna and her sister Maria who is also a chess champion
The 27-year-old Ukrainian had been looking forward to defending her championships won in Doha, Qatar in 2016 but this year’s competition, hosted by a political rival, has already faced far more opposition than any chess competition ever should.
For Muzychuk and her sister Mariya, another chess pro, their refusal is on the grounds that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia does not treat women with anything even approaching equality – a country where the sisters would not be allowed outside unless escorted by a man.
see also.. War and Cholera Decimate Yemen, But Saudi Bombing Gets More US Help
“[I decided] not to play by someone’s rules, not to wear abaya, not to be accompanied getting outside, and altogether not to feel myself a secondary creature,” she said in an emotional statement.
“Exactly one year ago I won these two titles and was about the happiest person in the chess world but this time I feel really bad. I am ready to stand for my principles and skip the event, where in five days I was expected to earn more than I do in a dozen of events combined.”
And therein lies the problem. Saudi Arabia are understood to have paid in the region of US$1.5m to host the tournament, which will be called the King Salman World Rapid and Blitz Chess Championships. That fee is four times what the host usually forks out and the prize money at this week’s event is many multiples of what players would usually expect to receive – particularly championship contenders like Anna. …
But it is not just women who have had problems with the Saudi-hosted event.
The very fact that this country is hosting a world chess tournament for the first time is controversial domestically as it comes two years after the country’s top cleric issued a religious edict against playing the board game. Saudi Arabia’s top cleric, Grand Mufti Sheikh Abdulaziz Al Sheikh, said in early 2016 that chess is “forbidden” in Islam because it wastes time and can lead to rivalry among players. …
Then there are the political issues, with countries that are currently geo-political rivals of the Kingdom complaining they have not received visas to enter the country and compete.
Israelis say Saudi Arabia ignored requests by Israeli players to obtain visas to participate in the tournament, perhaps unsurprising given that Israel and Saudi Arabia do not have diplomatic relations. But Qatar and Iran have reported similar grievances. While the top three male players are all travelling for the tournament, many will be missing and the women’s competition is still reeling from Muzychuk’s withdrawal on Tuesday.
“All that other stuff is annoying, but the most upsetting thing is that almost nobody really cares,” Muzychuk added in her Facebook post.
“That is a really bitter feeling, still not the one to change my opinion and my principles. The same goes for my sister Mariya – and I am really happy that we share this point of view. And yes, for those few who care – we’ll be back!”
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‘other crimes that are punishable by death include adultery, blasphemy and sorcery. Execution methods include beheading, “crucifixion” (which involves beheading followed by public display of the body), firing squad and stoning.’
The Free 
Difficult to understand how this could be called a “world championship” when so much of the world isn’t invited or not going. Checkmate!
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Reblogged this on The Most Revolutionary Act and commented:
The Ukrainian, 27, will not travel to Saudi Arabia, where she wouldn’t even be allowed to walk down the street unaccompanied
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